A serious California felony carries consequences that extend far beyond potential prison time. Strike priors under California’s Three Strikes law multiply sentencing exposure dramatically. Mandatory sex offender registration applies automatically to specified offenses. A felony conviction can end a professional license, trigger immigration removal, and create collateral consequences that outlast the sentence itself by decades.
Understanding the full architecture of what is at stake — not just the criminal charge — is where defense in these cases begins.
Los Angeles County and California Courts
Mark practices in Los Angeles County Superior Court and across California’s state court system. California criminal procedure has a distinct character that rewards experienced practitioners. The preliminary hearing is a genuine adversarial proceeding, not a formality; a well-conducted preliminary hearing can expose weaknesses in the government’s case and create a record that shapes the rest of the litigation. A Penal Code § 995 motion can challenge whether sufficient cause exists to hold a matter for trial.
Serious Felony Defense
Mark’s state practice focuses on serious felony matters: homicide, sexual offenses, gang-related charges, robbery, carjacking, narcotics, and other cases where the potential consequences make trial-ready defense essential. He also regularly represents licensed professionals — physicians, attorneys, law enforcement officers — for whom a criminal charge carries professional consequences that compound the personal ones.
Three Strikes Sentencing
California’s Three Strikes law imposes a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life for a third felony conviction when two prior serious or violent felonies are on the record, and a doubled sentence for a second strike. Understanding whether priors can be challenged or distinguished — and whether a Romero motion is appropriate — requires careful legal analysis before any plea or trial decision is made.
Spanish-Language Representation
Mark is fluent in Spanish. Clients who prefer to communicate in Spanish, or whose families do, will not encounter a language barrier in this representation.
Writs and Post-Conviction Relief
A trial verdict or a plea is not always the end of the process. California’s post-conviction practice — direct appeals, habeas corpus petitions, and related writs — provides avenues to challenge wrongful convictions, constitutional violations, and excessive sentences. Mark handles post-conviction litigation in California courts as part of an integrated criminal defense practice.
Certified criminal law specialist. Flat fee. Call (310) 880-7120 for a direct consultation.